CNN.com - Separating friendlies from hostiles - Apr. 4, 2003 "You're saying you want to kill me?" he asked.
The Iraqi grinned and glared.
At that point, a gunnery sergeant grabbed the man, threw him to the floor and bound his hands behind his back with plastic handcuffs.
The Iraqi was "crying like a baby," the sergeant said, and Tomlin said the other 30 men on the bus "knew we meant business."
He has interviewed hundreds of Iraqis for possible military ties over the past two weeks, but said this was the first time he had been threatened in that way.
About 15 of the men on the bus sported suspicious tattoos, including an Arabic character corresponding to an "F" with wings sprouting from it -- indicating the recipient was a member of the Fedayeen Saddam, a paramilitary group that has waged guerrilla-style attacks on advancing U.S. and British forces.
Tattoos are becoming indicators of military ties for paramilitary groups like the Fedayeen or Iraqi troops who don civilian clothes to blend in. They generally do not travel with weapons.
Tomlin said the Iraqi who threatened him had a scorpion tattooed on his hand.
"Tattoos are a very good guide," he said. He also looks for military haircuts, identification cards, and the condition of a suspect's feet and his shoes.
"If his feet are in good condition, there's a good chance they've been wearing good shoes or military boots," Tomlin said. "If their feet are beat up and they're wearing sandals, they could be farmers."
In the past two days, Charlie Company has detained about 70 suspected Iraqi troops or paramilitaries, sending them to headquarters for questioning. The unit is patrolling the main highways into Baghdad to keep them open for supplies to reach troops moving toward the Iraqi capital.
The Iraqi grinned and glared.
At that point, a gunnery sergeant grabbed the man, threw him to the floor and bound his hands behind his back with plastic handcuffs.
The Iraqi was "crying like a baby," the sergeant said, and Tomlin said the other 30 men on the bus "knew we meant business."
He has interviewed hundreds of Iraqis for possible military ties over the past two weeks, but said this was the first time he had been threatened in that way.
About 15 of the men on the bus sported suspicious tattoos, including an Arabic character corresponding to an "F" with wings sprouting from it -- indicating the recipient was a member of the Fedayeen Saddam, a paramilitary group that has waged guerrilla-style attacks on advancing U.S. and British forces.
Tattoos are becoming indicators of military ties for paramilitary groups like the Fedayeen or Iraqi troops who don civilian clothes to blend in. They generally do not travel with weapons.
Tomlin said the Iraqi who threatened him had a scorpion tattooed on his hand.
"Tattoos are a very good guide," he said. He also looks for military haircuts, identification cards, and the condition of a suspect's feet and his shoes.
"If his feet are in good condition, there's a good chance they've been wearing good shoes or military boots," Tomlin said. "If their feet are beat up and they're wearing sandals, they could be farmers."
In the past two days, Charlie Company has detained about 70 suspected Iraqi troops or paramilitaries, sending them to headquarters for questioning. The unit is patrolling the main highways into Baghdad to keep them open for supplies to reach troops moving toward the Iraqi capital.
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